ambient

On 05/11/2025 at 10:20, BigRedX said:

 

Unfortunately IME Bandcamp is a muso/indie ghetto. Fine if all you want to do is reach other musicians and a few hardcore music fans, but nearly useless for reaching ordinary people. The sort of people you need to reach if you want to really grow your fan base.

Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Gilles Peterson, Bass Communion and Radiohead are just a few of the artists I can think of on Bandcamp.

I've never used Spotify and never will. I don't even stream music. 

On 05/11/2025 at 10:20, BigRedX said:

 

Unfortunately IME Bandcamp is a muso/indie ghetto. Fine if all you want to do is reach other musicians and a few hardcore music fans, but nearly useless for reaching ordinary people. The sort of people you need to reach if you want to really grow your fan base.

Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Gilles Peterson, Bass Communion and Radiohead are just a few of the artists I can think of on Bandcamp.

I've never used Spotify and never will. I don't even stream music. 

On 05/11/2025 at 10:20, BigRedX said:

 

Unfortunately IME Bandcamp is a muso/indie ghetto. Fine if all you want to do is reach other musicians and a few hardcore music fans, but nearly useless for reaching ordinary people. The sort of people you need to reach if you want to really grow your fan base.

Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Gilles Peterson, Bass Communion and Radiohead are just a few of the artists I can think of on Bandcamp.

I've never used Spotify and never will. I don't even stream music. 

That's very sad. He was an incredible musician. I was fortunate enough to see him play with Mike Stern in a masterclass at my old uni.

The dictionary definition is:

‘noun

One, such as a painter, sculptor, or writer, who is able by virtue of imagination and talent or skill to create works of aesthetic value, especially in the fine arts.

A person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skill. 

"You are an artist in the kitchen."

One, such as an actor or singer, who works in the performing arts. 

One who is adept at an activity, especially one involving trickery or deceit.  "a con artist."

One who practices some mechanic art or craft; an artisan.  Similar: artisan.

One who professes and practices an art in which science and taste preside over the manual execution. 

One who shows trained skill or rare taste in any manual art or occupation. 

An artful person; a schemer. Similar: schemer.

A person who creates art.’

I don't see anything pretentious in calling yourself an artist. If you do create art then you're an artist. 

Does playing ‘Sex on Fire’ down the Dog and Duck on a Saturday evening make you an artist? Probably not, but if you're writing lyrics and composing your original music, then yes.

I was doing 14 or 15 hours a day, every day when I was a student. That was for three years. Nowadays I juggle practising with having a full-time lecturing job and caring for my sick mom. I'm lucky to get a few hours a week.

On 10/10/2025 at 14:41, peteb said:

 

To be fair, I'm not too sure what the thread is about and I'm not convinced that the OP is either! People talk about how they are busy 'doing sessions', but there is very little paid session work about. The old days of people being called to go into a recording studio to play on albums, demos, jingles and film scores has pretty much disappeared and the work that is around seems to be dominated by a handful of very experienced guys in London. 

 

I do know a few guys who still regularly do sessions, even if it isn't normally their main source of income these days. They all have their own (pretty sophisticated) home studios and virtually all of the work they do is online. They are all knocking on a bit, varying degrees of eccentricity, great players and tend to have a bit of a reach / name in certain genres.  There isn't a lot of work for bass players and even less for drummers (their parts tend to be programmed). I also know guys who have studios and make a living producing library music. Again, they may occasionally call in a singer or guitar player, but they tend to cover most of the parts themselves. 

 

The latest version of Logic has a built-in session bassist. If you're lucky enough to get called to record for someone, it might be because you can deliver that little something else that only you can.

Unless you're Dave Swift or Guy Pratt, playing in time and in tune is essential, and nobody will care what bass you're playing or how many strings it has, especially with remote sessions being very much the thing nowadays.

I have autism and prefer e-mail or text messaging to phone calls. 

I've been using Bass Direct since before Mark had a shop, and I've always received exemplary service from them.

I've been using Bass Bros for the last two years. Again, I've had nothing but exemplary service from them as well.

I think people should remember that both are small shops, staffed by knowledgeable, but small workforces. They don't have 24 hour call centres or customer service centres. They probably receive dozens of emails and telephone enquiries each day. As such, it's easy for them to miss one or think they've replied to an email when they haven't.

It's also a simple matter to follow your enquiry up with another email or a call if you don't get a reply.

We should be supporting these fantastic businesses, rather than criticising them over silly things.

I figure it’s their band, their music and their choice who plays it.. so it's completely irrelevant what the public thinks.

I love that they’re doing what they want to, and if people like it too then great, but they certainly aren't doing it just to please others, or to get public approval. 

I saw them with my brother on the Roll the Bones tour. We were three rows from the front at the NEC. We are both going to go and see them next year, assuming they do UK shows.

Is this still available, please?

On 18/09/2025 at 20:03, Stuee said:

Just wondering whether this is still available(?)  Weighing options 🙂

Apologies. It's sold, sorry.

They sound like a right bunch of pirates.

8 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

It won't open with Adobe like every other pdf I grab on my phone???

It wouldn't open on my phone either. I had to download it on my MacBook.

7 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Or...

 

 

Space Cowboy.pdf 626.94 kB · 10 downloads

Thank you. 

On 24/07/2025 at 19:53, Stub Mandrel said:

If you are OK with proper tab (i.e

 with note values etc.):

 

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/jamiroquai/space-cowboy-official-4188526

 

Thank you. It wants me to become a member and download an app though.

Does anyone have a transcription of Stuart Zender’s bass line for this that they can share, please?

Standard notation preferred, please. I struggle to get my head around TAB.

Thank you.

Judging by social media and the radio station I was listening to the rerun on yesterday, the anniversary brought back a lot of very happy memories for a great many people. Which is fantastic, in my opinion.

3 hours ago, ezbass said:

Drumming was overly enthusiastic and the addition of a sax was superfluous. Sounded more like a jam, certainly not well rehearsed.

 

I’m not a huge Queen fan, but they were so slick, moving seamlessly from an abbreviated version of one tune to another. Plainly, well rehearsed.

 

If I were the three other members of U2, there would have been words about Bono’s excursion into the audience. Playing that riff over and over, for so long would have been wearing, not to mention boring. 
 

 

EDIT: The Who doing Won’t Get Fooled Again was an absolute car crash.

They were in the middle of a very long series of gigs at Wembley Arena. They had their road crew carry the gear across the car park.

I've enjoyed listening to the rerun on the radio. I was 6 at the time, I do remember watching it though.

Highlights so far are The Who, Simple Minds, Bowie, Ultravox, U2 and Sting with Branford Marsalis.

On 17/06/2025 at 08:32, markbunney said:

I had a chance to buy a ticket for villa park last week when they released some more for sale, but just couldn’t bring myself to pay £412.50 for a seat

My brother’s friend paid several thousand pounds for two tickets.

It seems a bit silly. Surely, if you buy it and return it, then it becomes b-stock?

You would probably also have to pay for the return shipping.

45 minutes ago, peteb said:

 

The rumours are that a new album is indeed on the cards! 

 

They've surely exhausted pillaging the complete canon of Messrs Lennon and McCartney by now?

1 hour ago, la bam said:

The irony that they are inspiring youngsters to pick up guitars, basses and drums and play live...... Just as most of the physical shops selling them have shut down.

From my experience as a music lecturer. It’s the events this weekend in Birmingham that most young musicians will be watching. Oasis don't seem to figure highly in my students’ musical influences.

One small mercy. At least there's no talk of a new album.